Before You Decide to Sell, See Your Home through a Buyer’s Eyes
By Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), e-PRO, ASP, GRI
Your home – a castle full of love, where you have spent some memorable years of your life with family — is sometimes just a fleeting stop (is 20 years temporary?) in a series of lifetime abodes. But now you have decided to sell it. You might be ready to list your property in the public domain where buyers, agents, inspectors, and appraisers may explore the details, including its advantages and disadvantages. Although this is a simple business transaction at first blush, it can be a genuinely overwhelming and emotional experience for the owners or the family members.
That said, the main concern now is to get the highest possible value for the property. And it is possible, but only if you think about and see the home from a buyer’s perspective.
You may find unlimited home staging tips online. But not all of them are equally reliable. When you want to keep your listing on the top among competitors in the market, it is vital to make improvements that impress a potential buyer. Here we a few practical tips from experts and homebuyers to help you prepare your home for sale:
Take out dirt and dust
The first most thing that buyers observe while buying a new property or house, to be honest, is the dirt and dust around. If they find your home cracked, dirty, and full of dust, they are likely to get some negative thoughts in their mind. Moreover, if you have not cleaned your house for a long time, it may attract rodents and insects inside. Put more attention on cleaning the kitchen appliances, windows, doors, and the outdoors as well.
Service the heating and cooling systems
Before listing your house on the public domain, spare some time to check the heating and cooling system’s functionality. You may need to book an appointment with some licensed repairman to maintain and repair things well. Even if the listing and selling process is getting delayed, prefer to organize maintenance routines from time to time.
Trim overgrown trees
If we look at the buyer’s reviews and feedback, they often ignore homes with extensive tree branches coming close to the roofing or structure. These branches can cause damage to the house during windy and stormy days. Other than this, they can be the active path for a variety of destructive insects like ants and rodents to enter your home. Trim down them ahead of time to avoid buyer’s complaints.
Enhance overall curb appeal
A wide range of home sellers believes that curb appeal includes simply planting some new flowers and cutting down the unwanted bushes around. But, in reality, curb appeal has just as much to do with your house. Once you see through the buyer’s eyes, you will find many more things to handle. Improve the doorbell’s condition, door handles, broken windows, and clean up the indoor and outdoor area. Also, prefer to create ideal light on the premises to capture the buyer’s attention.
Once you execute these essential home staging steps, it will be easier to lock in a deal for selling your home at a profitable price.
